Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

June 15, 2013

THUMBS DOWN: State officials and game vendors are holding meetings around the state, touting the benefits of e-gambling - electronic pulltabs and electronic bingo games that the state wants to spread throughout the state to help pay for the new Vikings stadium and more.

The meeting in Mankato on Wednesday night seemed like a hard sell, according to the AP report. We're not surprised. Local charitable gambling managers are not as gullible as state legislators, apparently, who bought into the estimates from the game industry that e-pulltabs would produce tens of millions of dollars in revenue per year. So far reality has fallen woefully short of the forecasts, both in numbers of machines that have been installed, and in the number of dollars each machine collects.

The state has a hard sell ahead.

German Park plans

THUMBS UP: German Park is New Ulm's showplace park, with its bandstand, amphitheater and fountain. So it is important for the city to keep it in top shape.

We're glad the New Ulm Park and Recreation Commission is looking into plans to improve the terraced hillside seating at the amphitheater. Over the years, the terraces have eroded a bit, to the point where it is hard to plant a lawnchair and keep it upright. The Park and Rec will be seeking proposals, which would be paid for by donations raised by Friends of German Park.

It is wise stewardship of a major city asset.

Old Nazi needs investigation

SIDEWAYS THUMB: The Associated Press in Minneapolis has revealed a former commander of a Ukrainian Nazi SS unit, now 94, has been living in Minnesota since shortly after World War II. The man, Michael Karkoc, allegedly lied when he told US authorities he had not been in the military. In fact, his unit was accused of burning villages and massacring women and chilldren.

The question now is, what do you do with him? Many feel he should be deported and investigated, and made to pay for his crimes. Others say he's already 94, and may not live long enough to be investigated anyway.

World War II?may have ended 68 years ago, but the horrors that were committed have not dimmed with age. We say send Karkoc back for trial.